Known standard reactors comprise a nozzle for providing liquid fuel, an inlet for a gaseous reaction agent (such as air), a reaction chamber forming a reaction zone (such as a furnace or oven, or a gasifier or another high-temperature reactor) and an exhaust for exhausting the reaction product formed in the reaction zone. The thermal instability of liquid fuels is of concern for the operation and maintenance of many types of reactors (including reciprocating engines and gas turbines) and of gasification reactors. Thermal instability of liquid fuels is the fuel's tendency at elevated temperatures to form deposits on fuel lines, valves, injectors, and reaction chamber surfaces. Particularly fuel injectors are vulnerable to deposition of solid residues caused by auto-oxidation (fouling) or cracking while depositing solid carbon (coking). Fouling and coking can cause equipment failure, equipment malfunction, and affects equipment performance. Fouling and coking can lead to increased maintenance costs, to equipment vulnerability and to decreased reliability. In prior art devices a solid deposit frequently occurs at the nozzle tip. This results in clogging of the nozzle tip and hence disruption of the supply of the liquid fuel, reducing the efficiency of the process and, after time the need for removing the coke residue which often means down time for the reactor and thus a further reduced efficiency.
US 2001/229558 discloses a nozzle suitable for fuel injection in pyrolysis reactors. The nozzle is shielded with an insulator.